The invention relates generally to a suspended merry-go-round for children, particularly for use with a swing set.
Many adults no doubt have fond memories of their parents taking them to the park for a ride on a merry-go-round. Today""s parent has a hectic work schedule and little free time to take children to the park. Even when a parent has time, many parks are both deteriorated and sometimes unsafe. While it might be nice to relocate the park to one""s backyard, it should be appreciated that typical merry-go-rounds are too large for an average backyard. Another problem is that those rides must be secured to the ground, often requiring cement and other anchoring devices that permanently change the landscape of the backyard. A further problem with conventional merry-go-rounds is the lack of a back support to restrain the rider so as to prevent the rider from being thrown off of the merry-go-round and onto the ground, possibly resulting in injury. Yet another problem is the rigidity of the structure, which could strike and injure another child who gets too close to the ride. Still another deficiency in the conventional merry-go-round is that they are either leg-powered or require someone to stand on the ground and push the ride.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new and improved child""s merry-go-round apparatus and method that addresses these problems.
Briefly stated, the invention is an apparatus and a method for a child""s suspended merry-go-round.
In accordance with an apparatus aspect, the apparatus includes a vertical pole member having a ground end and a top end. The top end of the vertical pole member is attached to a support beam by a support assembly. The apparatus further has a rotatable seat member having a sitting surface with an opening at its center. The vertical pole member passes through this opening at the center of the seat member. The seat member is attached to the pole member by tension members. That attachment of the tension members to the pole member preferably comprises a bearing.
In accordance with another apparatus aspect, the apparatus includes a vertical pole member having a ground end and a top end. The top end of the vertical pole member is attached to a support beam by a support assembly. The apparatus further has a rotatable seat member having a sitting surface with an opening at its center. The vertical pole member passes through this opening at the center of the seat member. The seat member is attached to the pole by tension members. The apparatus also has a back support.
Still another aspect of the apparatus includes a vertical pole member having a ground end and a top end. The top end of the vertical pole member is attached to a support beam by a support assembly. The apparatus further has a rotatable seat member having a sitting surface with an opening at its center. The vertical pole member passes through this opening at the center of the seat member. The seat member is attached to the pole by tension members. The apparatus also has a hand wheel attached to the vertical pole member and a flexible back support attached to the seat member and to the flexible tension members.
In accordance with a method aspect, the method includes providing a merry-go-round apparatus having a vertical pole member and a seat member with a hole in its center. The pole member passes through this hole in the center of the seat member. One end of the pole member engages to the ground and an opposite end of the pole member is supported to hold the pole member vertical. The method further includes seating a child on the seat member and supporting the seat member with flexible tension members connected between the pole member and the seat member. The method also includes rotating the seat member about the pole member to give the child a ride on the merry-go-round.